An Annapolis man will spend the next 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of possessing child pornography, capping a case that began with a single tip from Google. Matthew James Freeto, 36, was sentenced to 80 years behind bars with all but 18 years suspended, and once he is released, he must register as a Tier 2 sex offender for 25 years and complete five years of supervised probation.
The case traces back to July 18, 2025, when Anne Arundel County police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Google itself flagged the material, according to WBFF. Google said it became aware of the images after they were stored in Freeto's Google Drive, and the company reported that the photos showed pubescent minors engaged in sexual acts or lascivious exhibitions.
How Investigators Traced the Images Back to Freeto
Google didn't just flag the content — the company also handed over identifying details that let detectives zero in on a suspect. According to the station's report, Google provided officials with Freeto's mobile phone numbers, his Gmail address, and his date of birth, giving investigators enough to move forward with a warrant.
Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Freeto's Google account and, per the same account, confirmed the presence of images depicting child sexual abuse material. That confirmation set the stage for the charges that followed.
Prosecutor Warns of Consequences if Freeto Reoffends
Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said the sentence reflects the severity of what investigators found. She said the sentence acknowledges that Freeto needed a lengthy prison term to address his disturbing penchant for child sexual abuse material, and she added that Freeto will face decades of additional consequences if he reoffends.
A Pattern of Similar Cases in Anne Arundel County
Freeto's case is not an isolated one in the county. In Davidsonville, Christopher Willard Clendenin, 38, was sentenced to 35 years with all but 10.5 years suspended after an Anne Arundel County jury convicted him on seven counts of possessing child pornography, according to the Southern Maryland Chronicle. Clendenin must also complete five years of supervised probation, take part in the COMET sex-offender treatment program, and register as a Tier 1 sex offender for 15 years once he's released; he received credit for 97 days already served.
A separate federal case out of Anne Arundel County, detailed in a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, resulted in a sentence of more than eight years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, with the offender ordered to register as a sex offender upon release.
These cases are part of a broader enforcement effort built around the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is administered by the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit and designed to respond to and investigate complaints of online sexual child exploitation, according to the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services. Under Maryland law, the 25-year registration period Freeto now faces as a Tier 2 offender is set by statute, per the Maryland General Assembly.
